From my earliest years, my favored toys were puzzles and, throughout my life, I have found great enjoyment in analyzing problems and finding solutions to them. Predictably a facility with numbers and a love of mathematics became quickly apparent and I excelled in the subject throughout my school years. I regard myself as very fortunate to have discovered my métier so early and to have been given the opportunity to pursue its study so far and look forward to extending this knowledge within the program.

I was raised in Nanjing which is one of China’s most prominent cities and a major centre of production and foreign investment. It was not possible to live in Nanjing without being aware of the burgeoning national and local economies and the effects, desirable and undesirable of their rapid expansion. My mother managed a local business and I was encouraged to take an interest in its progress and I did so with great enthusiasm. Because of this background, I have pursued an informal study of economics since my mid teens through regular reading of various periodicals, in addition to coursework in both macro and micro-economics during my bachelor degree studies. Having obtained my bachelor degree, I sought an internship in the area of finance and was fortunate in being offered analysis work with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. This experience was fascinating and fully confirmed me in my decision to applying my mathematical and analytical skills in the world of business and finance.

My particular areas of interest in mathematics are algebra, calculus and probability which are of direct relevance to the program and that led me to a decision to pursue a major in applied mathematics. Since being awarded an excellent degree in Applied Mathematics and Statistics, I have carefully considered and researched various options and have concluded that your program offers the best means of applying and extending my knowledge and skills, providing a satisfying career path and maximizing my utility in the world.

I am widely travelled within China, having visited Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. I have also visited Australia as well as the US. I have happily studied, worked and socialized with people of many cultural and social backgrounds and look forward to extending this experience within the program and to preparing myself to work in a multinational business environment. I am an outgoing person and have been enthusiastically involved in various extra-curricular activities in my academic career.

I am well aware that there will be many well qualified applicants for such a prestigious program that provides access to a faculty of world class researchers and teachers and provides highly marketable skills and knowledge. However I do believe that I am an exceptional candidate. I hold a degree in a directly relevant discipline which was completed in only three years, this fact together with my academic record and GPA score will provide assurance as to my intelligence and diligence; I possess excellent computing and programming skills; my English is excellent; I am confident and enjoy speaking and providing my contribution in a team environment; I believe that being raised in one of China’s main centers of production and investment will enable me to provide unique and useful insights to my class and enable me to ‘add value’ to it. My main recommendation, however, is a genuine passion for the Mathematics of Finance and a strong desire to assist in the development and application of this vital area of knowledge.